Marion Nelsen

Marion W. Nelsen was born May 11,1917 to Peter C .and Anna Elsie (Rossen) Nelsen on a farm north of Curtis, NE. As a small child they moved to a farm south of Curtis where he attended country school and then graduated from NSA in Curtis in 1937.

In 1941 he enlisted in the Air Force and was sent overseas in February of 1942. He was stationed in the South Pacific on Christmas Island, New Heberdies and Guadalcanal. He returned to the states June of 1944 and was stationed at Victorville Air Base, CA. He was later honorably discharged at Ft. Leavenworth in 1945.

He married Wanda Fratti October 20, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan. They returned to Curtis in 1947 and moved to a farm south of Curtis, living there 16 years. Their children Jim and Diane spent most of their young lives on this farm.

The family moved north of Curtis in 1963 and lived there until 1990 when Marion and Wanda retired and moved to North Platte, NE after 43 years of farming.
He was a life-time member of the American Legion and served on the school board of the Curtis Elementary School.

His family remembers his love of his children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was responsible for many of them learning to drive an old stick shift car on their farm south of Curtis. He was also an avid sports fan traveling to three states to watch his grandsons and great nephew play football.

Marion was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers and their spouses Leroy and Velma Nelsen, Kenneth and Dolly Nelsen, sisters and spouses Margaret and Marvin Schmid, Doris and Gerald Awtry, nephew Dennis Awtry and most recently his wife of 64 years, Wanda Nelsen.

Survivors include his son Jim Nelsen and wife Marilyn of Marion, Iowa and daughter Diane Pollmann and husband Larry of McCook. Grandsons Clint (Mandi) Nelsen of Grimes, IA, Neil (Kelly) Nelsen of Indianola, IA, Darren (Courtney) Pollmann of McCook, NE and granddaughter Lisa Pollmann of McCook, NE. Great grandchildren Elle, Lane, Tyde, Aspen and Grady Nelsen and Olivia, Miles and Eileen Pollmann and several nieces and nephews.